What Third down att (Off − Def) is

Third downs the offense faced minus third downs this defense forced.

Higher is better. It is shown per game, so a team's number does not depend on games played. Source: P + N.

In 2021 the Texans led at 2; the league average was 0.00.

League snapshot — 2021

League leader

HOU · 2

League average

0.00

Best to worst

3.82

All 32 teams, higher is better.

Rank	Team	Value	Games
1	HOU	2	17
2	TEN	1.47	17
3	BAL	1.35	17
4	CAR	0.94	17
5	MIN	0.76	17
6	ARI	0.65	17
7	DET	0.65	17
8	PIT	0.47	17
9	CHI	0.35	17
10	BUF	0.29	17
11	KC	0.29	17
12	NYG	0.29	17
13	PHI	0.29	17
14	LAC	0.24	17
15	MIA	0.24	17
16	DAL	0.18	17
17	IND	0	17
18	WAS	-0.06	17
19	GB	-0.18	17
20	NE	-0.24	17
21	ATL	-0.29	17
22	CLE	-0.35	17
23	TB	-0.41	17
24	DEN	-0.47	17
25	NYJ	-0.47	17
26	JAX	-0.53	17
27	CIN	-0.71	17
28	LAR	-1.12	17
29	NO	-1.12	17
30	LV	-1.35	17
31	SF	-1.35	17
32	SEA	-1.82	17

At a glance — 2021

Where the 32 teams sit on this stat this season.

League leader

HOU · 2

League laggard

SEA · -1.82

League average

0.00

Spread (max − min)

3.82

Rank	Team	Value	Δ vs avg	Percentile
1	HOU	2	2	100%
2	TEN	1.47	1.47	96.8%
3	BAL	1.35	1.35	93.5%
4	CAR	0.94	0.94	90.3%
5	MIN	0.76	0.76	87.1%
6	ARI	0.65	0.65	83.9%
7	DET	0.65	0.65	80.6%
8	PIT	0.47	0.47	77.4%
9	CHI	0.35	0.35	74.2%
10	BUF	0.29	0.29	71%
11	KC	0.29	0.29	67.7%
12	NYG	0.29	0.29	64.5%
13	PHI	0.29	0.29	61.3%
14	LAC	0.24	0.24	58.1%
15	MIA	0.24	0.24	54.8%
16	DAL	0.18	0.18	51.6%
17	IND	0	0.00	48.4%
18	WAS	-0.06	-0.06	45.2%
19	GB	-0.18	-0.18	41.9%
20	NE	-0.24	-0.24	38.7%
21	ATL	-0.29	-0.29	35.5%
22	CLE	-0.35	-0.35	32.3%
23	TB	-0.41	-0.41	29%
24	DEN	-0.47	-0.47	25.8%
25	NYJ	-0.47	-0.47	22.6%
26	JAX	-0.53	-0.53	19.4%
27	CIN	-0.71	-0.71	16.1%
28	LAR	-1.12	-1.12	12.9%
29	NO	-1.12	-1.12	9.7%
30	LV	-1.35	-1.35	6.5%
31	SF	-1.35	-1.35	3.2%
32	SEA	-1.82	-1.82	0%

Does Third down att (Off − Def) matter against the spread?

Run as a one-stat algorithm against the closing line, this stat went 772–806–37 ATS (48.9%) across 2020–2025, #270 of 296 ranked.

Its best season was 2022 (134–130, 50.8%); its worst 2024 (121–142, 46.0%).

For picks, this is noise. One stat is not a recipe — the algorithms combine many.

Season	Games	ATS record	ATS %
2020	256	127–127–2	50.0%
2021	272	133–137–2	49.3%
2022	271	134–130–7	50.8%
2023	272	123–135–14	47.7%
2024	272	121–142–9	46.0%
2025	272	134–135–3	49.8%

Third down att (Off − Def) in 2021 vs 2020

Texans lead at 2 — they ranked #29 last year. Seahawks are last at -1.82 — #32 last year.

The league average is 0.00, the same as last year.

Biggest riser: Titans, #31 → #2. Biggest faller: Rams, #5 → #28.

Spread between first and last: 3.82; 23 teams are within 0.84 of the average.

Year-over-year — 2021 vs 2020

Biggest movers from last season.

Biggest riser

TEN · +3.47

Biggest faller

LAR · −2.12

Most consistent

CLE · +0.02

League trend 2021 vs 2020

▲ 0.00

Rank	Team	2021	2020	Δ
1	TEN	1.47	-2	+3.47
2	HOU	2	-0.69	+2.69
3	CAR	0.94	-0.13	+1.07
4	BUF	0.29	-0.63	+0.92
5	MIN	0.76	-0.13	+0.89
6	ARI	0.65	-0.13	+0.77
7	CHI	0.35	-0.38	+0.73
8	TB	-0.41	-1.06	+0.65
9	NYG	0.29	-0.31	+0.61
10	IND	0	-0.56	+0.56
11	DET	0.65	0.13	+0.52
12	SEA	-1.82	-2.25	+0.43
13	BAL	1.35	1.06	+0.29
14	GB	-0.18	-0.44	+0.26
15	PIT	0.47	0.25	+0.22
16	DEN	-0.47	-0.50	+0.03
17	CLE	-0.35	-0.38	+0.02
18	KC	0.29	0.38	−0.08
19	DAL	0.18	0.38	−0.20
20	NE	-0.24	0.13	−0.36
21	PHI	0.29	0.69	−0.39
22	WAS	-0.06	0.63	−0.68
23	NYJ	-0.47	0.31	−0.78
24	MIA	0.24	1.13	−0.89
25	CIN	-0.71	0.25	−0.96
26	LAC	0.24	1.25	−1.01
27	LV	-1.35	-0.31	−1.04
28	NO	-1.12	-0.06	−1.06
29	JAX	-0.53	0.75	−1.28
30	SF	-1.35	-0.06	−1.29
31	ATL	-0.29	1.69	−1.98
32	LAR	-1.12	1	−2.12

Multi-year context

7-year window (2020–2026)

Multi-year leader

CHI · 1.27

Multi-year laggard

SEA · -1.69

Biggest improver

CHI · +0.60/yr

Biggest decliner

BAL · −0.74/yr

Rank	Team	Avg	Slope/yr	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
1	CHI	1.27	+0.60	-0.38	0.35	0.94	0.88	0.94	2.18	4
2	LAC	1.20	+0.02	1.25	0.24	3.29	0.24	-0.41	3	0.80
3	NYG	1.04	+0.43	-0.31	0.29	0.29	1.88	0.88	1.65	2.60
4	ARI	1.00	+0.32	-0.13	0.65	1.71	1.06	-0.82	1.35	3.20
5	DAL	0.56	+0.10	0.38	0.18	0	0.88	1.41	0.29	0.80
6	HOU	0.46	+0.00	-0.69	2	0.29	0.29	0.59	0.53	0.20
7	TB	0.35	+0.38	-1.06	-0.41	0.41	0.35	0.35	1.59	1.20
8	NO	0.23	+0.46	-0.06	-1.12	-1	0.71	-0.47	0.76	2.80
9	CLE	0.23	−0.05	-0.38	-0.35	0.94	1.29	1	0.71	-1.60
10	NYJ	0.22	+0.20	0.31	-0.47	-0.18	-0.24	-0.12	1.24	1
11	PIT	0.22	−0.19	0.25	0.47	1.29	-0.18	1.47	-1.59	-0.20
12	DET	0.19	−0.27	0.13	0.65	0.47	1.12	1.12	0.06	-2.20
13	CIN	0.16	+0.19	0.25	-0.71	-0.50	0.12	0.41	0.94	0.60
14	WAS	0.16	−0.12	0.63	-0.06	1.18	-0.47	0.65	-1.41	0.60
15	MIN	0.08	+0.05	-0.13	0.76	0.59	-0.41	-1.06	-1.82	2.60
16	CAR	-0.04	−0.15	-0.13	0.94	-1.47	2.18	-0.53	-0.29	-1
17	PHI	-0.09	−0.24	0.69	0.29	0	-0.65	1.18	-1.12	-1
18	IND	-0.13	+0.12	-0.56	0	0.29	-0.47	-0.65	-1.35	1.80
19	JAX	-0.13	−0.03	0.75	-0.53	-0.29	0	-1.12	-0.35	0.60
20	MIA	-0.14	+0.04	1.13	0.24	-2.24	-0.88	0.29	-0.88	1.40
21	TEN	-0.18	+0.16	-2	1.47	-0.41	-1.29	0.12	1.88	-1
22	LAR	-0.19	−0.08	1	-1.12	0.35	-0.12	-0.47	-2.18	1.20
23	DEN	-0.20	−0.14	-0.50	-0.47	0.65	1.06	-0.24	-0.29	-1.60
24	NE	-0.31	+0.09	0.13	-0.24	-1.65	-0.65	0.06	-0.24	0.40
25	KC	-0.33	−0.14	0.38	0.29	-1.71	-0.24	0.59	-0.35	-1.25
26	LV	-0.39	+0.10	-0.31	-1.35	0.06	-0.76	0.24	-0.82	0.20
27	ATL	-0.41	−0.38	1.69	-0.29	-1.41	0.12	-0.24	-0.71	-2
28	GB	-0.61	−0.29	-0.44	-0.18	0.41	-0.18	-0.82	-0.65	-2.40
29	BUF	-0.63	−0.25	-0.63	0.29	-1.19	0.29	-0.12	0.12	-3.20
30	BAL	-0.91	−0.74	1.06	1.35	0.47	-2.41	-2.24	-1.59	-3
31	SF	-1.07	−0.25	-0.06	-1.35	-0.29	-2.06	-1.12	1.18	-3.80
32	SEA	-1.69	+0.02	-2.25	-1.82	-1.41	-1.47	-0.88	-1.82	-2.20

Multi-year heatmap

32 teams across 7 seasons. Cells colored by quintile within each season; click a column header to jump to that year.

Team	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
HOU	-0.69	2	0.29	0.29	0.59	0.53	0.20
TEN	-2	1.47	-0.41	-1.29	0.12	1.88	-1
BAL	1.06	1.35	0.47	-2.41	-2.24	-1.59	-3
CAR	-0.13	0.94	-1.47	2.18	-0.53	-0.29	-1
MIN	-0.13	0.76	0.59	-0.41	-1.06	-1.82	2.60
ARI	-0.13	0.65	1.71	1.06	-0.82	1.35	3.20
DET	0.13	0.65	0.47	1.12	1.12	0.06	-2.20
PIT	0.25	0.47	1.29	-0.18	1.47	-1.59	-0.20
CHI	-0.38	0.35	0.94	0.88	0.94	2.18	4
BUF	-0.63	0.29	-1.19	0.29	-0.12	0.12	-3.20
KC	0.38	0.29	-1.71	-0.24	0.59	-0.35	-1.25
NYG	-0.31	0.29	0.29	1.88	0.88	1.65	2.60
PHI	0.69	0.29	0	-0.65	1.18	-1.12	-1
LAC	1.25	0.24	3.29	0.24	-0.41	3	0.80
MIA	1.13	0.24	-2.24	-0.88	0.29	-0.88	1.40
DAL	0.38	0.18	0	0.88	1.41	0.29	0.80
IND	-0.56	0	0.29	-0.47	-0.65	-1.35	1.80
WAS	0.63	-0.06	1.18	-0.47	0.65	-1.41	0.60
GB	-0.44	-0.18	0.41	-0.18	-0.82	-0.65	-2.40
NE	0.13	-0.24	-1.65	-0.65	0.06	-0.24	0.40
ATL	1.69	-0.29	-1.41	0.12	-0.24	-0.71	-2
CLE	-0.38	-0.35	0.94	1.29	1	0.71	-1.60
TB	-1.06	-0.41	0.41	0.35	0.35	1.59	1.20
DEN	-0.50	-0.47	0.65	1.06	-0.24	-0.29	-1.60
NYJ	0.31	-0.47	-0.18	-0.24	-0.12	1.24	1
JAX	0.75	-0.53	-0.29	0	-1.12	-0.35	0.60
CIN	0.25	-0.71	-0.50	0.12	0.41	0.94	0.60
LAR	1	-1.12	0.35	-0.12	-0.47	-2.18	1.20
NO	-0.06	-1.12	-1	0.71	-0.47	0.76	2.80
LV	-0.31	-1.35	0.06	-0.76	0.24	-0.82	0.20
SF	-0.06	-1.35	-0.29	-2.06	-1.12	1.18	-3.80
SEA	-2.25	-1.82	-1.41	-1.47	-0.88	-1.82	-2.20

Third down att (Off − Def) since 2018

Leaders since 2018: 2018 Lions (1.31), 2019 Patriots (1.94), 2020 Falcons (1.69), 2021 Texans (2).

The best season on record is Texans 2021 at 2; the worst Commanders 2019 at -2.94.

Distribution

How the 32 teams cluster for 2021.

About this stat

Stat ID: net_third_down_att
Side: net
Family: NET (Off − Def)
Data source: P + N
Polarity: higher is better (or neutral)
Display grain: count
Algorithm eligibility: Algorithm-eligible: this stat can be picked in the Algorithm Builder.